McDonald's Salads Possibly Linked to Parasite

What’s worse than food poisoning or catching a cold and being stuck in bed? One thing that might be nastier and even less fun would be getting sick because of parasites. Yes, you heard that correctly: parasites. While your mind might automatically jump to some kind of creepy, crawly creature, that’s only partly true. A parasite can actually be any kind of organism that lives in or on another organism and lives off the host’s nutrients, at the host's expense. That means some parasites can be totally invisible and live in food and cause illness.

According to a statement from the Illinois Department of Public Health, the illness is known as cyclosporiasis, which is caused by the microscopic Cyclospora parasite.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explains that the parasite is spread by the ingestion of food or water that was contaminated with feces, and that it typically takes one to two weeks to become infectious. Cases have now been reported in multiple counties across the state, and initial investigations report that there may be a link between eating salads from McDonald’s and becoming ill. According to the statement from Illinois's health department, approximately one-fourth of the the cases in Illinois reported that they had eaten salads from the fast-food chain in the days leading up to their illnesses, while the Iowa's health department has found a similar increase in cases related to McDonald’s.

In their statements, the health departments have provided signs and symptoms to watch out for, including frequently experiencing watery diarrhea, loss of appetite and weight, cramping, bloating and increased gas, as well as nausea, fatigue, and fever. While the illness might sound scary, it’s actually fairly simple to treat with antibiotics. However, if left untreated, symptoms could persist for up to a month or longer.

“Although a link has been made to salads sold in McDonald’s restaurants in some Illinois cases, public health officials continue to investigate other sources,” says Iowa Department of Public Health Director Nirav D. Shah, adding that anyone who has eaten a salad from McDonald’s since mid-May and developed diarrhea and fatigue should contact a health care provider about testing and treatment to be safe.

According to CNN, McDonald's said in an email that it has been cooperating with public health authorities in both Iowa and Illinois, and has also voluntarily stopped selling salads at impacted restaurants until they can switch lettuce suppliers. "We are in the process of removing existing salad blend from identified restaurants and distribution centers — which includes approximately 3,000 of our U.S. restaurants primarily located in the Midwest,” a spokesperson from McDonald’s said.

While not tied to McDonald’s, cases of illness caused by the same parasite have also been increasing in Texas, according to the Texas Department of Health and Human Services, with officials currently investigating over 56 cases.